I've watched the last few episodes and I just can't stand what I'm seeing.

I feel like if Days manages to survive another five years, we'll be looking back on this era thinking, "What the HELL was THAT?" Just like we do with Higley's 2003 stories.

None of it feels like Days of Our Lives. None of it.

Lucas and Chloe are just gross and contrived. The character of Sami is completely lost. Stephanie and Max need to move to Mars already, and they can take Melanie with them.

I don't like Kate having cancer at all, mainly because I fear that it's their way of axing Lauren Koslow. The character of Daniel is a joke and a bust, and it appalls me the way they have Kate in this random corner just secluded as if she's his own personal story prop. Hate it! Meanwhile, can we please bring back her inner power-hungry bitch side? What happened to her wardrobe? The Kate I'm seeing now just doesn't even feel like the Kate I knew eight years ago.

The story with Abe and Lexie has surprisingly come together, but it's not compelling to me. I don't care about Abe running for mayor or whatever, and the guy with the camera approaching Lexie in the park was just stupid. It just doesn't "feel" like a Days story. I mean, I can handle stories like this as long as they aren't painfully boring, but from what I've seen, that's exactly what it is.

The only people I can stand to watch are Nicole and EJ, and even with that I feel like the writing for Nicole is reaching a little far to make her the sympathetic character. In fact, I have suspicions that the only reason I enjoyed their scenes was because they took place in the DiMera Mansion, a set which brings back great memories and warm tinglies.

Where is the show that I used to recognize and love? Every time Dena Higley is at the helm, this show seems to completely lose its identity and I find myself not caring about characters that I used to be crazy about.

I really should stop watching classic clips on YouTube because it only manages to highlight just how shitty the show is in its current state. Compared to the work that we were seeing from Higley three months ago, I'll agree that what we're seeing now is much more watchable by comparison. But we're comparing shit to diarrhea here. Days could and should be so much more.